Art Berke, a lifelong White Sox fan, has worked at the highest levels of the sports industry with Major League Baseball, ABC Television and Sports Illustrated. He grew up in Northwest Indiana, in the shadow of old Comiskey Park, and proudly proclaims 2005 as the best year of his life. Art offers his glass half-full opinions and observations as he lives and dies with the Sox.

You’d think that after the difficult schedule we’ve been facing since the All-Star break, including three of the last four series against division leaders and two other sets against legitimate contenders, we might have a chance to catch our collective breaths.

Well, that doesn’t seem to be the case as the rebuilding Indians, who just traded the likes of Victor Martinez, Cliff Lee, Ryan Garko, Mark DeRosa and Ben Francisco, are playing their best baseball of the season having won 10 of their last 15 games.

The probable pitching matchups: Buehrle vs. Jeremy Sowers tonight, TBA (Torres? Carrasco? Whisler?) vs.TBA tomorrow night and Contreras vs. David Huff on Sunday. Carl Pavano was set to hurl for the Indians tomorrow night, but was traded today to the Twins.

Sox Musings…

* Ozzie used the term Little League when describing the Sox effort against the Angels yesterday in the 9-5 loss. Hopefully the sleepwalking won’t last for long.

* Bobby Abreu’s blistering attack on Sox pitchers is nothing new, he’s done it for a long time. The situation reminds me of when the Yankees’ Don Mattingly battered us all those years. His lifetime average was impressive enough, but kiddingly I’ve told friends I don’t remember him ever making an out. It could be Abreu has some extra incentive hitting against his friend Ozzie’s ball club.

* I’m not giving up on Ramon Castro offensively. Even though he’s been somewhat of a disappointment at bat, I’ve seen him come up with a lot of key hits as the Mets backup and confident he’ll deliver as we head down the stretch.

* Although on balance he’s done fairly well, there’s nothing like that anxiety when Mr. Dotel enters the game. You just never know which Octavio is going to show up–the one who has the stuff to strike out the side or the one who gives up a crucial hit or walk.

* John Danks is a key to our pennant hopes. He just has to turn it around and soon. He’s a bulldog so we know his struggles aren’t for a lack of effort.

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